Small and mid size delivery and utility vans are a great asset to the maintenance of our economic infrastructure. They serve a multitude of functions from delivering food, parcels and heavy equipment to being workshops on wheels.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved van floor liner.
The problem with most present floor materials is that they are not water or chemical proof and thereby offer no protection to the vehicle against rust, bacterial growth or chemical burn. The carrying of food products and other materials requires the van floor to be washed on a regular and constant basis. Choosing a plastic floor may appear to be an obvious solution, however, such a floor is so slippery when wet that a person may easily slip and fall walking from one end to the other. A little snow or mud on a person's boots and the floor is also dangerous.
Another solution has been a rubber floor. However, it also has its drawbacks. Large pieces of equipment and skids of materials are often placed into these vans using a fork lift truck. The result is that the inserting and removing of these items will grab and tear at the rubber until it is ripped out of the van. A rubber floor also has the disadvantage of being unable to seal the van floor completely for pressure or normal washing.
The vans to which the present invention pertains are half-ton, three-quarter ton and cube vans. These vans typically have cargo floor lengths of seven feet or more. The result is that the driver or user cannot simply reach into the van, but must walk in to access cargo. These vans are also used as portable work stations whereby the driver/user must constantly be walking back and forth the length of the van. This results in the need for a non-slip surface.
Thus, one aspect of the present invention is to create a van liner floor that is safe to walk on and tough enough to take all forms of loads. The form should be totally water and chemical proof, cover a total van floor surface and be installed through a four foot door opening.
Another aspect of this invention is to effectively provide a van floor liner that has a non-slip surface while also having a sealed durable plastic surface that allows cargo to be slid into the van's total length. The design of the floor liner also allows for a six foot wide floor to be easily installed through a four foot door opening.
The plastic formed floor has the added advantage of being formed to contour all van wheel well covers and other features.
When the floor liner is combined with a wall liner the floor can be plastic welded to the walls creating a completely sealed and totally pressure washable van interior. This is especially advantageous for food delivery where sanitation is of the utmost importance.